REVIEWS

Variety: flamboyant turn by Richard Gere is the heart and soul of The Benefactor, an off-kilter character study of a Philadelphia philanthropist whose eccentricities both mask and manifest a dark side. The movie ends in a more conventional place than the one where it begins, yet it still marks a surprising and graceful first fiction feature for writer-director Andrew Renzi. There are moments of indulgence that make you wish someone would walk in from off camera and hand the actor an Oscar, just to get it over with.

Hollywoodreporter.com: Renzi's conception of the man's oncoming collapse is sharp in some ways: for instance, how both of his crutches, drugs and the assumption that generosity buys love, fail him simultaneously. (While one doubts such a rich man would have much trouble finding narcotics when his doctor cuts him off, the smarmy desperation of his attempts is one of the film's most compelling elements.) Similarly, Franny's ability to be genuinely empathetic with a frightened child despite his trouble connecting with adults rings true.

Eyeforfilm.co.uk: Richard Gere is exceptional, pulling off the flamboyant style and exuberant nature of Franny, but also managing to make him feel three dimensional. There would have been a real danger here that The Benefactor could have been written too much like a Willy Wonka style figure, friend to children and stuck in childhood intimacies, but Gere effortlessly grounds him by making him exactly the kind of larger than life character that is actually comfortably believable. His performance is stellar.

Filmfracture.com: Gere is fantastic as Franny, and he manages to steal the show time and again with his eccentricities and overzealousness. When his addiction overtakes him the anger and pain that comes through demonstrate the talent Gere possesses.

Iheardthatmoviewas.com: Richard Gere brings a performance that is wonderful yet excruciating to watch, especially for the final act of the film.

Roboapocalypse.blogspot.nl: The Benefactor is an entertaining and unusual piece of work that played extremely well on this past Friday evening at its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. For fans of Gere, this is a must-see, and for people looking to "find" a director before they're big, this is also a must-see. Renzi should have a very successful career ahead of him.

Thefilmstage.com: As a fast-talking, boisterous individual with the right quip for every exchange, Gere embodies this entertaining side, but also excels in dealing with the character's darker vices. With a loneliness behind his eyes even when he's around his closest acquaintances, it's a tender performance that helps keep one invested.